Raiders rebuild the future in latest 7-round mock draft

Las Vegas wastes no time in finding their franchise player.
Las Vegas Raiders, Antonio Pierce
Las Vegas Raiders, Antonio Pierce / Ethan Miller/GettyImages
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Payton Wilson. 3. 442. . . LB. Payton Wilson. player. . Payton Wilson

Without a second rounder due to the trade that landed Daniels, the Raiders make their next selection in the third round. Here, they go with a guy Antonio Pierce is going to fall in love with. North Carolina State linebacker Payton Wilson is the pick, and comes in as a starter right away.

Wilson stands 6-foot-4 and weighs in just over 230 pounds, so he has even more room to add functional strength/weight. If the Raiders are looking for a field general at the linebacker position, Wilson is definitely that type. He does it all.

Last season with the Wolfpack, Wilson totaled 138 tackles, including a whopping 17.5 for a loss, 6.0 sacks, six passes defensed, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and a defensive score.

He has the ability to drop into coverage where he is excellent at reading quarterbacks, specifically in zone coverage. Wilson is also an active run defender. Even though he's a taller guy, Wilson has impressive speed. When he diagnoses a run play, he's at the ball carrier in a hurry.

This is a future defensive captain in the making.